New Delhi, January 29: Vinay Kumar Sharma, one of the convicts in Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case, on Wednesday filed a mercy petition before President Ram Nath Kovind. The mercy plea was filed by Sharma, days ahead of his execution. Sharma is the second convict in the case who has filed the mercy petition. On January 14, another convict Mukesh Singh had also filed the mercy plea before the president. However, his petition was rejected. On January 24, Sharma had approached a Delhi court seeking custody of his 170-page personal diary. Nirbhaya Gangrape And Murder Case: Tihar Jail Performs Dummy Execution Ahead of February 1 Hanging.

With Sharma filing the mercy petition, the hanging of all the convicts could be delayed further. As per procedure, the convicts must be served with a 14-day execution notice after their mercy plea is rejected by the President. On January 7, the Patiala House Court  issued death warrant against four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case. However, their execution was postponed to February 1 as President rejected Singh's mercy petition on Janaury 17.  Nirbhaya Case: Delhi High Court Rejects Convict Pawan Kumar's Claim of Committing Crime Under Juvenile Age, Dismisses His Plea.

Sharma, along with Mukesh Kumar Singh, Pawan Kumar Gupta, and Akshay Kumar Singh are facing execution on February 1 for raping a paramedical student on December 16, 2012. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed the plea of Singh against the rejection of mercy petition by the President. With this, all the legal options of Singh were exhausted.

On Tuesday, another convict Akshay filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court. The apex court will consider the petition on Thursday. Earlier curative petitions of Sharma and Singh in the case had already been dismissed by the top court. Nirbhaya Gangrape And Murder Case: All Convicts Silent on Last Wishes Ahead of February 1 Hanging, Says Report.

The case is related to rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student by six men on a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012. She was on her way back home when the incident happened and later succumbed to her injuries. Reportedly, six people were convicted in the case, one was a minor, who was sent to a rehabilitation centre, and another, Ram Singh, committed suicide in the Tihar Jail. All the four convicts were given the death penalty by a trial court in 2013.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 29, 2020 07:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).